This model has 12 discrimination segments, so you can customize it to work in all terrains and all soil types. It features 19 channel automatic noise cancelling, 3 target tones, lag-free audio, and 10 volume adjustments. This model is lightweight, at just 2.6 pounds, and comes standard with Minelab’s V10 10” by 7” Double-D waterproof search coil. It should be noted that the control box is weatherproof, not waterproof, so it should not be submerged in water. Take caution when hunting near water or you risk ruining the metal detector. Purpose: Evaluate the overall operational capability, sensitivity and stability of the Minelab Vanquish 440 metal detector under various test conditions. As always, I report findings and provide comments from strictly a user perspective–not that of a technical engineer. Technical Reason: Before if you wanted to have a Minelab multi-frequency machine with Iron Bias feature you had to acquire an Equinox model which is not affordable by everybody! Battery: the 540 comes with rechargeable batteries instead of replaceable ones that the 440 and 340 have.

To start with, let’s define what kind of product line is that? Well, things are quite simple here. Minelab has a product line of metal detector for beginners called Minelab Go-Find. It turned out to be not very successful one. It hasn’t been in demand from the very beginning and, moreover, nowadays it has become outdated. It’s Multi-IQ technology is some of the best on the market. This means the detector excels in all terrain and conditions, without the need to switch coils or continuously fiddle with settings. Minelab were the first to the market with this technology and their competitors are only just catching up. Despite that, it has proven itself in multiple terrains, including on beaches. Keep in mind it will have more ground noise coming through than the Vanquish or Equinox series because it can only operate at one frequency and can only shift slightly to compensate for interference. Waterproof, lightweight, and pretty functional, we would say this model of the series is very nice for beginner detectorists (mainly because it has pinpoint included!) Vanquish 540 At that, the rivals on the market are very active and they continue designing new metal detectors. For example, Turkish Nokta Simplex can successfully compete with most of modern metal detectors for beginners.The Minelab Vanquish 440 is the epitome of user friendliness, comfort and effective simplicity. It weighs a minuscule 2.6 lbs with batteries installed and the balance is very good with the 10×7 coil. The control box display is large, very readable and all controls are easy to reach and a snap to use. Highly versatile and waterproof, the VANQUISH 440 comes with Minelab’s V10 10”x7” Double-D coil as standard.

That is you are transmitting and receiving on all supported frequencies at the same time as opposed to selecting just one frequency from a given range to use at any one time, Note of appreciation: I want to thank Kellyco Metal Detectors for providing the Vanquish 440 for me to evaluate as well as my hunting buddy and good friend Gary Bronga (pictured right) for his valued contribution to this report. All other features are generally like in the 340 model – all purpose multifrequency with several compatible coils and tunable signal and stuff. The system is not rechargeable, and only native headphones fit. To cut the long story short, it seems that for the first time in the last 10-15 years the market of metal detectors experiences a real revolution, and the Vanquish series is a big chunk of this revolution. Now, let’s see what interesting features this revolution brings.Each of these metal detectors would be a great investment for a beginning detectorist. Minelab’s Vanquish line is changing the game by offering a true multiple frequency metal detector at an entry-level price. The Vanquish 440 is a great all-purpose metal detector and the Multi-IQ technology is a huge advantage. Options: As I’ve list below the Vanquish series offer basically 4 models that you can choose from … Instead, Equinox has only 2 models 600 and 800! More than that, the real intelligence of the system is that the Multi-IQ processing will collate and compare the signals from all operating frequencies, which is probably better described as switchable frequency. Switching frequency is effectively like swapping one single frequency coil for another, without physically swapping it.

So, let’s take a closer look at Vanquish. Here we’ll deal with a metal detector pretty similar to Minelab Equinox, but with sufficiently decreased functionality. If you’ve always wanted to own and use a multi-frequency machine at a lower price tag, then that’s probably the right choice! Business reason: In the last decade Minelab used to introduce to the Market each 2 to 3 years a new series of machines in which they introduce new technologies and features (such us the aptX low latency, Muti-IQ, Iron Bias …) … The Vanquish 540 weighs a few ounces more than the 440, at 2.9 pounds. This model has Bluetooth compatibility so it can be used with wireless headphones or wired headphones. The 540 comes with rechargeable AA batteries and is the only model of Vanquish with rechargeable batteries.One of the most curious peculiarities of this Vanquish series is the Multi-IQ technology, that seems to break all the stereotypes and norms about entry-level metal detectors. And this is little surprise, really, since the competitors are literally close on the heels. Nokta Makro, for example, have developed an underwater detector with semi-automatic Ground balance – Nokta Makro Simplex – and this device is meant for beginners! I found the stability at the beach to rival that of other Minelab multi frequency detectors. It’s truly at home in a salt water environment. In discrimination mode, it was quiet and stable throughout the wet sand. In the surf, I reduced the sensitivity from level 10 to 8 and it performed flawlessly. Cons: Water resistant vs waterproof. The Vanquish control box is weather/water resistant but the coil is waterproof. To my way of thinking, all detectors should be fully waterproof if not weatherproof. Why? Ours is an outdoor hobby and even if you’re not a water hunter, a heavy rain could do a detector in if it isn’t waterproof, but that’s just the view from my foxhole. The Vanquish does come with a nice control box cover so Minelab has taken the possible pop-up shower into consideration.

And for afters, let’s dissect Vanquish 540, the most sophisticated model of the three in this series. Both the Vanquish 440 and Vanquish 540 metal detectors feature Minelab’s Multi-IQ technology. Both have 19 automatic noise cancel. Both have 10 levels of sensitivity and volume adjustments. The Vanquish 540 has adjustable iron bias while the 440 has iron bias preset at high. The Vanquish 540 has Bluetooth connectivity while the 440 does not. Larger Coil: Still a Double-D one, yet it is a larger one with 12*9 inches of dimensions… This will make the machine about 0.3 pounds (100 Grams) heavier (not significant I would say …) yet this will allow you to cover much more space while detecting.

analasing the similarities and differences between them to get a clearer picture of what's really down there. What sets Multi-IQ apart from other so-called multi-frequency systems is that it is true Simultaneous multi-frequency. Custom mode. Minelab has provided an option for the user to save a preferred setting to which they can easily return that is most effective in their environment for the type of hunting they do. Three tones are factory set at Low, Medium and High all of which are clear and very distinguishable. Not surprisingly, I like this set up since I programmed my Equinox 800 and my CTX 3030 years ago to Note of appreciation: I want to thank Kellyco for providing the Vanquish 440 for me to evaluate as well as my hunting buddy and good friend Gary Bronga for his valued contribution to this report.